Wireless communication systems may use power control schemes to reduce interference among mobile subscribers or to increase subscriber traffic capacity. Adequate power control is particularly important for proper performance of a subscriber's mobile station in a code-division multiple-access environment. The evolution of wireless communication systems is contemplated in which a single mobile station may operate over multiple channels simultaneously. Therefore, a need exists for a power control scheme which is sufficiently adaptable to handle single-channel or multiple-channel communications per each mobile station in a wireless communications network.